No flaws, now a pause for Buckeyes

A defense that had been prone to costly lapses and missed tackles rarely even allowed a moment to catch a breath.

A passing attack that occasionally left plenty of room for improvement seemed to produce a big play every time the football came out of Braxton Miller’s hand.

Ohio State might keep focusing on its flaws, and it wasn’t patting itself on the back after accounting for the level of competition it faced Saturday in a 52-22 laugher against Illinois (2-7, 0-5 Big Ten). But heading into a bye week with just two games left on the schedule, the Buckeyes (10-0, 6-0) made clear with perhaps their most complete performance of the season that they’re on a collision course with perfection.

No matter how big the latest of its victories might measure in the Ohio State locker room, they’re all adding up to something pretty huge, given the state of the program at this time a year ago.